Morat Announces 20-Date Latin American Stadium Tour

Posted on February 7, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Morat is preparing for a major trek…

Just as they Colombian Latin pop rock band is wrapping up its U.S. tour dates, Morat has announced plans for its upcoming stadium trek in Latin America.

After a performance in Madrid on June 21, Morat will begin the 20-date stint in cities like Bogotá, Lima, Buenos Aires and Quito before wrapping up with four shows in Mexico in December.

Dubbed Los Estadios: Antes de Que Amanezca Tour, Morat’s new trek comes on the heels of its touring success with more than 1 million tickets sold in 2023, according to Universal Music Latino, which led to the Colombian band’s upcoming first-ever stadium tour in Latin America.

“We have a wishlist of things we wanted to try to incorporate into the show,” Morat — composed of Juan Pablo Isaza, Juan Pablo Villamil, Martín Vargas and Simón Vargas — tells Billboard. “One thing we do a lot of is also think about the shows as moments so, that each song has something special, some moment, some little thing. And obviously our management team was hysterical because that obviously directly impacts the budget, but we were eager to have every one of the songs have something and at the end we did something that I think is very special. Our motto today is ‘We’re losing money, but let’s go down in history.’”

In 2016, the band, which got its start hand-delivering CDs in its native Bogotá, Colombia, and playing gigs in local bars, released its first album, Solo El Amor Y Sus Efectos Secundarios.

That same year, Morat received a Latin Grammy best new artist nomination.

Morat’s latest album, Si Ayer Fuera Hoy, scored the band its first entry on the Billboard Latin Pop Albums chart, where it peaked at No. 18 on the tally dated Nov. 19, 2022.

Tickets for Los Estadios Tour are set to go on sale soon.

Fans can find more information at moratoficial.com.

Grupo Frontera Signs Management Deal with Habibi

Posted on November 21, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Grupo Frontera is under new management…

The Regional Mexican group has signed a management deal with Habibi, Noah Assad’s management firm.

Raymond Acosta, director of talent management at the company — which also includes Karol G on its roster — will lead Grupo Frontera’s management team.

The deal comes seven months after Grupo Frontera and Bad Bunny‘s massive cumbia/norteña track, “Un x100to,” peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was also up for song of the year at this year’s Latin Grammys.

Over the past two years, Grupo Frontera — previously managed by Victor Ruiz — went from local McAllen, Texas, band to a música mexicana global force. Composed of Adelaido “Payo” Solis III, Juan Javier Cantú, Julian Peña Jr., Alberto Acosta, Carlos Guerrero and Brian Ortega, the group broke out last year thanks to its Tejano spin on Morat‘s 2019 single, “No Se Va.” The inventive cover scored the norteño group its first entry on any Billboard chart, ultimately peaking at No. 3 on the Hot Latin Songs tally dated November 12, 2022.

According to Raymond Acosta, Habibi was approached by Mexican hitmaker Edgar Barrera — who’s penned and produced for Grupo Frontera — and Alberto (of Frontera) after seeing the impact “Un x100to” had.

“I asked Noah for an opportunity to get to know and study Mexican culture,” Acosta explains. “Because for me, identities are very important. One of my role models is Mr. Angelo Medina, he was the manager of José José and Emmanuel. He was the one who taught me [that] when you’re going to cross the pond, you have to know where you’re going.”

In August, Grupo Frontera released its debut album, El Comienzo, via Barrera’s BorderKid Records label. The set bowed and peaked at No. 3 on the Top Latin Albums chart. In the past year alone, the group has placed eight songs on the Billboard Hot 100 — including “Que Vuelvas” with Carin Leon, “Bebe Dame” with Fuerza Regida and “Frágil” with Yahritza y Su Esencia. They have a distribution deal with Believe and own their masters.

“If you want to be the number one manager, your artists have to be number one,” adds Acosta. “I’m fulfilling my dreams by fulfilling the dreams of others. I think that’s the beauty of the management part. [At Habibi,] we don’t copy-paste marketing plans. That’s why when you see all the projects, none of them look alike. And seeing everything that is behind Frontera, the personality of each one and what they are doing, motivates us a lot.”

Grupo Frontera to Perform in Mexico City’s Zócalo During This Year’s Grito de Independencia

Posted on August 25, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Grupo Frontera will be making a special visit to Mexico’s most iconic plaza…

The Regional Mexican group will perform at Mexico City’s Zócalo — the country’s most important public square — on September 15 for the annual Grito de Independencia event, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has announced.

“The members of Grupo Frontera will be there on September 15 at night in the Zócalo,” said the Mexican president at the end of his usual morning conference, where he played Frontera’s cover of “No Se Va,” originally by Colombian group Morat.

López Obrador reiterated his taste for the music of the Regional Mexican group, which he has included in his playlist to challenge corridos tumbados, a musical genre that although he has said he will not prohibit, he considers to glorify drug traffickers.

Grupo Frontera joins a long list of national and international artists who have set foot in the second-largest public square in the world, only behind Tiananmen in Beijing. Musicians such as Paul McCartney, Justin Bieber, Manu Chao, Shakira, Café Tacvba and the late icon of regional Mexican music Vicente Fernández, among many others, have performed at the Zócalo.

The attendance record for free concerts held in the so-called Primer Cuadro in the Mexican capital is held by the Argentine rock band Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, which achieved the milestone of gathering 300,000 people on the night of June 3, beating Grupo Firme, who held the record after summoning 280,000 people in September 2022, according to figures from the government of Mexico City.

This week, the sextet scored their first top 10 hit on a Billboard album chart with El Comienzo, which jumped 39-4 on the Top Latin Albums chart on August 19 after its first full week of activity.

El Comienzo also jumped 12-2 on Regional Mexican Albums and debuted at No. 39 on the Billboard 200 all-genre chart.

Grupo Frontera Releases Debut Album “El Comienzo”

Posted on August 4, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Grupo Frontera is starting something…

The Regional Mexican band has officially released their debut studio El Comienzo.

Grupo Frontera originally gained virality with their Morat cover of “No Se Va” and then took advantage of the momentum to release original music — which has earned them seven titles on the Billboard Hot 100, and 10 on the Hot Latin Songs chart (including a No. 1 hit).

Home to 11 tracks, the Rio Grande Valley-based group delivers a traditional norteño-cumbia set with some very heartfelt and relatable lyrics — mostly about love and heartbreak.

Most notable are the star-studded collaborations. For “Alta Voz,” Grupo Frontera brings back Junior H in his sad boy era, singing about missing someone and calling them despite the hour; in “Las Flores,” the band and Yahritza y Su Esencia’s second collaborative effort, we find an upbeat, ‘90s-inspired grupero melody backing a vocal about regretting falling in love; and on focus single “El Amor de Su Vida,” with Grupo Firme, a man makes his peace that the love of his life is with another person.

El Comienzo also includes previously released collabs “Que Vuelvas” with Carin León, “Ojitos Rojos” with Ke Personajes, and the Bad Bunny-assisted “Un X100to,” which peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 earlier this year.

Manuel Carrasco Teams Up with Morat to Launch New Version of “Hasta Por La Mañana”

Posted on July 15, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Manuel Carrasco is bringing back one of his classics… with a twist and assist.

The Spanish singer has joined voices with Colombian boyband Morat to launch a new version of his well-known single “Hasta por la mañana”, which is part of the album Corazón y Flecha.

Through the lyrics, they convey a powerful optimistic message about living in the present, resiliently overcoming obstacles, and moving on.

Fragments of the lyrics, such as “I’m going to fulfill my commandments/ Don’t waste time/ And live now/ God will say tomorrow/ Because, even if I carry it inside/ There are plenty of arguments to shout” resonate with force.

The video complements the positive feel of the song by showing exciting clips of the group’s performances alongside their fans.

The result is a joyous, collaborative, mood-lifting project that brings Morat back to the studios in the midst of their “Si Ayer Fuera Hoy” World Tour.

Grupo Frontera Appears on Billboard Hot 100 for First Time with Cover of Morat’s “No Se Va”

Posted on October 5, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Grupo Frontera has joined an elite club…

Five weeks ago, the Latino group appeared on a Billboard chart for the first time, Now the act is officially a Billboard Hot 100 hitmaker with its cover of Morat’s “No Se Va.”

The song, which the group released independently, debuts at No. 99 with 4.8 million U.S. streams (up 43%) and 1,000 downloads sold (up 278%) in the September 23-29 tracking week, according to Luminate.

It concurrently jumps 28-15 on Hot Latin Songs and 18-3 on Latin Digital Song Sales and debuts at No. 15 on Latin Streaming Songs.

Helping the song’s surge in popularity, a snippet of it has been used in more than 130,000 clips on TikTok.

Colombian folk-pop group Morat released its initial recording of the song in 2019, although the track has not appeared on any Billboard charts. The group has earned one Hot Latin Songs hit: “Sé Que Te Duele,” with Alejandro Fernandez (No. 49 peak, 2017).

“No Se Va” became Grupo Frontera’s first Billboard chart entry when it debuted at No. 12 on the Regional Mexican Digital Song Sales survey dated September 3; the song spends a second week at No. 1 on the latest list.

The song also helps the group rise 49-24 on the Emerging Artists chart.

Notably, “No Se Va” is just the fifth Regional Mexican song to reach the Hot 100 in the chart’s 64-year history, a distinction that began with Christian Nodal and Gera MX’s “Botella Tras Botella” in May 2021 (peaking at No. 60). Ivan Cornejo’s “Está Dañada” became the second regional Mexican song to reach the Hot 100 last October (No. 61), followed by Grupo Firme’s “Ya Superame (En Vivo Desde Culiacan, Sinaloa)” in November (No. 91) and Yahritza y Su Esencia’s “Soy El Unico” this April (No. 20).

Grupo Frontera comprises six members: Beto, Juan Javier Cantu, Carlos Frontera, Payo, Julian Pena Jr. and Carlos Zamora.

Morat Signs Worldwide Publishing Deal with Warner Chappell Music

Posted on April 3, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Morat has a new global publishing deal…

The Colombian band, comprised of lead singers and main songwriters Juan Pablo Isaza and Juan Pablo Villamil, has signed a worldwide publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music.

According to the publishing company, the deal covers future works as well as the pair’s entire back catalog.

“We’re delighted to partner with Warner Chappell Music and are proud to have them represent our catalogue,” Isaza and Villamil said in a statement. “They have an incredible global roster and we’re looking forward to getting the opportunity to collaborate with some of them in the future.”

The deal with Isaza and Villamil was led by Santiago Menéndez-Pidal, president of Warner Chappell Music South Europe; Gustavo Menéndez, president of Warner Chappell Music Latin; Javier Dean and Carmen Picado, A&R director and A&R manager for Warner Chappell Music Spain, respectively; and Daniel Mora, managing director of Warner Chappell Music Colombia.

Menéndez added, “At Warner Chappell Music we are big believers in cross-territory collaboration. By regularly working closely with Santi, Javier, Carmen and Daniel, we have been able to build a relationship with Juan Pablo Isaza and Juan Pablo Villamil. They are exceptional songwriters, and our Warner Chappell territories around the world will be looking forward to working with them going forward.”

Isaza and Villamil have not only penned songs for their Colombian folk-pop band, which also includes brothers Martín Vargas and Simón Vargas, but have also written tracks for artists such as Danna Paola, Juanes, Paulina Rubio, Reik and Sebastián Yatra.

“They’ve already had incredible success and have great experience writing for huge international artists so it’s going to be exciting watching them tap into our global network and work with writers from all over the world,” Menéndez-Pidal said in a statement. “I’d like to thank Gustavo for all his work in helping us get this deal over the line.”

With more than 10 million monthly listeners on Spotify, Morat, who most recently renewed their recording contract with Universal Music Spain, is currently on tour while also working on a new album, which will follow last year’s A Dónde Vamos? as well as their Latin Grammy-nominated 2018 LP Balas Perdidas.

Danna Paola Teams Up with Morat for New Single “Idiota”

Posted on June 6, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Danna Paola is reuniting with Morat for new music…

The 25-year-old Mexican actress/singer has joined voices once again with the Colombian quartet for their new song “Idiota.”

While not the first time they collaborate, this new song reinforces the bonds that unite Morat with Mexico.

The song, originally composed by Morat, together with Mauricio Rengifo and Andrés Torres, has a rhythmic pattern that resembles dembow, and closely represents the current Latin landscape.

That’s why they reeled in a female voice to complete and effectively narrate the story behind it. It’s a beautiful mix of vocals that perfectly give life to the story adding Danna’s pop fusions.

The lyrics talk about a love that is gone but you can’t forget, and you are trying to get back. It phrases the advice that you have probably given or gotten from your friends: “If you love something, let it go. If it comes back to you, it’s yours forever. If it doesn’t, then it was never meant to be.”

Aitana & Morat Team Up for Alt-Pop Single “Más De Lo Que Aposté”

Posted on August 2, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Aitana is upping the ante with a hot new collaboration…

The 21-year-old Spanish singer-songwriter has joined voices with the Colombian band Morat once again, this time for the catchy new single “Más De Lo Que Aposté.”

Even though the track centers on an on-again, off-again couple, it features a feel-good melody that laces Aitana’s dulcet pop sound with Morat’s infectious alternative rock.

“Sometimes we are, sometimes we’re not / One day it’s hate, another day it’s love / I don’t know the reason / But I always end up with you,” Aitana and Morat chant in the chorus.

An innovative and vibrant music video shows both Aitana and Morat jamming to the song in the middle of the woods.

Aitana and Morat previously released the single “Presiento.”

Morat Bringing Their Balas Perdidas Tour to the U.S.

Posted on April 3, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Morat is heading to the U.S.

The Colombian pop band, rising in popularity globally, will be bringing some Colombian saboron their first-ever U.S. tour, Balas Perdidas.

Juan Pablo Villamil, Juan Pablo Iseza, Simon Vargas Moralesand Martin Vargas Moraleswill kick off their tour on Thursday in San Francisco.

Morat has dreamt about the opportunity to bring their music to an international level for the past two years, especially after being nominated for a Latin Grammyas best new artist and at the MTV Millennial Awards.

The Colombian band wants to bring a different flavor to the Latin music scene with songs that step away from reggaetón and are more pop rock.

Billboard sat down with the band to talk about their first U.S. tour.

You are about to do your first-ever official show for your Balas Perdidas U.S. tour. What are you feeling right now?
For us, it’s a dream come true. It’s something we’ve always wanted since we started the band. It’s more than clear that it will be a spectacular experience just because we’re traveling each city on a tour bus.

Which places are you excited to visit the most?
We are excited about Phoenix, New York and Los Angeles. We have families in different cities, as well as many people who have been asking us for this.

Which items are in your must-have list for the tour?
The instruments, the Nintendo Switch, elastic bands for exercises and a good book.

What can fans expect from the Balas Perdidas Tour?
This concert will carry all kinds of songs from our Balas Perdidas album, but at the same time it will bring our best hits from our first album [Sobre El Amor y Sus Efectos Secundarios], which will add a different flavor to Latin music.

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